Cush Arthur! Cush!!!!

In the past 7 days I have, gotten the certificate from the state to get the motorcycle endorsement for my license, practiced my newly developed skill on a dirt bike, (Thank you John and Dan) and rode a camel (NO THANK YOU DAN!! :).

By far the camel ride was the most terrifying of the three. Seriously. I’ll blog about the motorcycle class later, but this story was too funny to sit on.

Let me set this up for you. Last night John (my fellow slave to law school and friend) took me to a mutual friend Dan’s house to ride dirt bikes and work on my clutch throttle skills. Dan and his family seem to be creating a miniature zoo on their farm, and I really wanted to see the animals (I’m like Ellie May Clampett, I love myself some critters). They have lots and they have actually bought a young camel. His name is Arthur, and just like most young adult male humans (and some adult men for that matter), Arthur is reluctant to follow directions and do as he is told.

Dan said, “lets see if Arthur will ‘cush’”. Apparently getting a camel to cush, is getting it to fold its legs under and lay down on its belly (example in the photo, but this is not Arthur). And Arthur was a very good boy, he cushed on first request. Everybody (John, Dan, Jasmine, and Myself) was impressed. Arthur had the appearance of being such a good, well behaved camel. Dan calls for me to come over and get on Arthur and he’ll lead me around for a little ride. So here I go over and climb between his two humps (still thinking Arthur is a good boy). I hold on to the front hump, Arthur gets up, and we begin.

As soon as Arthur gets up, I realize that this bareback camel ride is nothing like the ones I had ever taken as a child at the zoo. It was pretty uncomfortable. I liken it to sitting on a 2x2 board or a small metal pipe (you pick) and having two people hoist the ends and pick you up in the air and walk you around. After a few minutes I proclaim that it “really hurts and it’s well, splitting my biscuit up here!” My brief ride was declared over (or so I thought). For the next 10-15 minutes Arthur showed his teenage defiance. Arthur refused to cush. REFUSED. Dan kept asking him to cush, and the more Dan asked, the more Arthur refused and fought. Arthur would thrash, and I would squeal. I tried hard not to squeal, because when I did, Arthur would turn his long neck and head to look at me while he trashed around. So I tried to hold back my squeal hoping that he would stay focused on Dan, who was giving him the command to cush. But when he would get close to the electric fence, I could not contain my shrieks. I just kept picturing in my head that any minute that camel or me, was going to touch the fence. I could see Arthur bolting off and me plummeting to the ground. Arthur pooped, but that didn’t help, he still wouldn’t lie down. After many attempts and much pleading by me for Arthur to obey, Dan tells me I’m just going to have to get off while he’s standing.

I asked if he was serious, I made my last plea for Arthur to frickin cush, and then started trying to figure out how I was going to do this. Dan told me just to swing my leg over, like I would a horse, and slide down. Okay two problems. One, I’m a whole lot higher up than a horse. Two, it’s a camel! There’s two foot humps both in the front and in the back of me creating quite an obstacle for me to “just throw my leg over”. There’s no saddle, no stirrups to shift your weight inorder to heave your leg over. How the hell I’m I supposed to clear that hump with my leg? Hummmm? How? There’s no way, NO WAY! I’m going to hit the ground, I’m just going to. Should I try to clear the front one, or the back one? I’m surely going to fall. I gathered courage, Dan stood behind me to brace me from totally landing flat on my back. Jasmine held the camel (Thank you by the way) and I lean to the side to initiate my dismount. Of course, as I was afraid, I did not clear the back hump ( that’s the one I choose to go for). And at one point, as I was sliding off, I amazed myself at my flexibility because my foot was stuck behind that hump, way over my head. But I made it off in one piece and I didn’t even hit the ground, thanks to Dan’s help. John was quite disappointed that he did not have his camera present to capture the memorable moment. But I’m sure it would have been hard to get a good picture while laughing as hard as you were. Only after I got off did I realize that very few people have attempted to ride this camel. I suggest a cushion and some of those stairs they roll up to board airplanes before I try again.

Arthur was a very friendly camel, and he held no grudges over the whole thing. He came up and nuzzled me and loved up against my body right afterwards. He checked me out from head to toe. So I am not holding a grudge either. Let’s just say I won’t be imagining a camel ride through the Western Desert anytime soon. Or a camel ride through the pen in Dan’s backyard either.

Unexpected guest

So lately I’ve been a busy little bee…

I now have 8 hours left in Law School. And next year should be a bit lighter. I’m registered for classes and they start up in about 3 weeks. But, if you factor in that I only have one free weekend in that time frame (which will probably involve studying for the Ethics part of the TN bar that I’m taking on August 8^th) and that I work the other 5 days of the week. It feels like I’m starting tomorrow. Since I did get all of the classes I wanted, my schedule will lighten up tremendously the first of Nov. which I have decided is a great thing and almost a sign from God. I say this because some of the things that were on my list to do this summer involved working on the yard a bit. Considering the heat, and that I want to replant some bushes and things, the first of November will be perfect. I LOVE fall!!! I can already imagine the crispness of the air, and how nice it will be outside. Much better than puddling in the sweat in the July and August Hotness.

I haven’t been running, school schedule and heat have put the brakes on that for a while. But I’m trying to get active again and I’m working up to starting back.

We had a momma cat drop off a baby kitten and not come back last Thursday. I took him to the vet the next morning after his dead beat mom didn’t show back up for him to see if anyone could take him. The girl that usually takes the orphaned babies was not going to be in until the next day. So I had to take him back to our house. Let me just tell you, bottle feeding an abandoned animal is not as fun, or as cute as it sounds. It was definitely not something Matt or I wanted to do for an extended period of time. The milk had to be just right. If it was the slightest bit too cold, like Goldilocks, he would refuse it. But once you got that temperature right, he would latch on and suck it down. He had to be fed every 4 hours, his eyes and ears had not opened yet, his little umbilical cord had not yet fallen off, and I’m pretty sure that Hans and Meeper (our two other grown cats) would have killed it if they’d had the chance. They would hiss, growl, snarl, and puff up at the mewing little kitten. Seriously… Hans has cat toys bigger than this little guy. And, I’m pretty sure that Meeper thought it was Satan in the flesh, and she was pissed that it was in HER house. We named it Baby Nacho (after Nacho Libre, it’s a long story) and it survived the 30 hours it was at our house. Matt and I had one goal… Keep it alive until the Vet Clinic opens tomorrow. A very nice lady at the Southside Vet Clinic took the kitten and he was being made over by all the staff when Matt left. If anyone is interested in adopting him or her (I say him, but I really have no idea what it was) they can go by Southside Vet Clinic in Clarksville on Hwy 48 in a few weeks.

Here’s a picture of Baby Nacho. And no its not your contacts or computer screen the picture is really blurring but you get the idea.

Country Music Marathon

2^nd half marathon is in the bag baby!

Well, I have now completed my second ½ marathon. The Country Music Marathon was a lot different from Memphis. For one, it was 28 degrees at the St. Jude’s Marathon and we had beautiful warm weather in Nashville. The start was much more exciting in Nashville. There were a lot more participants and it was a much bigger production. The race began at 7:00 a.m. on West End. I was at Coral 8, right in front of J. Alexander’s. I could see the Start and the finish was way behind me. People were lined up as far as I could see down West End. There were helicopters flying around over head hovering to catch all the excitement on film. You could hear the propellers working hard to keep them still. Even over the warm up music. And we were nervous, pumped, and ready to go.

We started about 10 minutes behind the front runners. The championchip sensors rang as Ashley, I, and about 1,000 other runners ran over the mats to begin our timing chips. I found my husband along the end of mile 1; ran up and rubbed his tummy. He grinned (I think I surprised him). Then we continued on, down West End. We turned on 12^th Ave and ran past the Tin Roof, up to the round about, then up music row. Because there were so many runners, it was a little cramped at times. There was one section of the course where you only had one lane of the road and runners who had started ahead of you’re passing you in the other lane. The Kenyans ran by us and I yelled and whooped like John Goodman watching a Cubs game on Roseanne. They were bookin’ it. The winner finished 26.2 miles in 2:13:52. People, that is an average of 5 minute miles over 26.2 miles!!!!! We passed our friend Dean who was running the full marathon that started in Coral 2 and he seemed to be doing well.

When we got under I 440 and over by Woodmont and Granny White. I started losing Ashley in the crowds. This made me nervous, because she and I are in these things together. We train together, we start together, we finish together, and we’re each others motivation. I would drop back and find her, then I would lose her again, then I would find her again. It was crazy how many people there were. And how many hills there were. Some of the wheelchair racers were having difficulty with the hills. I passed one who was having a tough time on this one hill. He was grunting in pain trying to push on his wheels. I can’t imagine the arm strength that would take. I also passed some Chi Omega’s cheering the runners on. I love the spectators cheering on their moms, dads, friends, and wives :) I’m all about a random stranger giving me a cup of water, or a high five! Hieee Fiee-Va (Borat style)!

I saw my hubby again around mile 9.5, and remembered I had not told him were to meet me at the end, so I ran over to tell him (that’s when he snapped the lovely picture of me ;) I found Ashley again and asked her how she was doing. I decided to run side by side with my running partner till the end. By mile 11, I was looking forward to the end that was still 2.1 miles away. We were at the bicentennial mall and I knew we still had to go up to the capitol and across the bridge to get to LP field. I wish I had not known how far that really was, but I did. I also knew this meant more up hill, as if there had not been enough already. I had been training with hills, but this course was incline, after incline. They were mostly gradual, but they popped up throughout the whole course. The finish line was a wonderful sight, and so was my hubby standing there smiling at me.

I had two three goals for this race: 1) to not walk AT ALL 2) to feel better at the end, than I did at the end of my 1^st half marathon, and 3) to finish around 2 hours.

I met my first goal. I didn’t walk, not even once. I’ve noticed that some people who walk a little sometimes beat me. But for me, walking is not an option, I just don’t want to.

I also met my second goal. I did not have to limp home, soak in the hot tub, or groan like a grandpa every time I moved. I didn’t have any ankle, knee, or back pain. Good shoes and better training did the trick. The point is to enjoy myself, not torture myself. Before August of last year running was punishment, but now it is fun. It makes me feel good, healthy, and strong (like I could conquer anything). Its one hour of the day that I have a clear mind. I still had to sack out for quite a nap. I also learned a valuable lesson after Memphis, do not to discard the space blanket too early. They give you those things for a reason, don’t throw them away right after getting them. I do have one small injury if you consider a tiny bruise an injury. I don’t, but in the interest of full disclosure, I tied my shoe a bit too tight and it left a little bruise on the top of my foot where the laces were.

My third goal I fell I bit short of, but it was in no way a failure. 2 hours 10 minutes (almost 11). It was in sight. But Ashley and I will get there. I did cut 15 minutes off of my Memphis time, and finished in the top 1/3. I’m really proud of how well we did. I’m already looking for another one I could do before school starts. Next year, I probably won’t be able to do any with my school schedule. Working all day, going to school at night (till 10:00) and trying to run 15-25 miles a week; is not going to happen next year. But I definitely have been bitten by the ½ marathon bug.

Congratulations to all who ran, be proud.